Christopher T. Stephens, MD

Professor, Chief of Trauma, Department of Anesthesiology
Fellowship Program Director, Trauma Anesthesiology
Associate Professor, Section of Emergency Medical Services, Department of Emergency Medicine
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston

Phone:  713-500-6222
Email:  Christopher.Stephens@uth.tmc.edu

Teaching Philosophy

I began my academic career as a graduate student at the University of Houston. As a Pharmacology graduate student, I had the opportunity to be a Teaching Assistant for the Pharmacy students at University of Houston. I recalled how my favorite undergraduate professors taught me and explained things to me that truly made sense. Several of my graduate school professors in pharmacology were equally as talented at teaching and made a lasting impression on me. I spent many hours as a teaching assistant with the pharmacy students reviewing physiology and laboratory techniques. It was a feeling of instant gratification seeing the students understand what I was explaining and doing well on their quizzes!  It was at this point I knew that I wanted to pursue an academic career. As I prepared to enter medical school, the most influential teacher in my life as both a paramedic and pre-medical graduate student was Dr. Red Duke. To me, he was the “Teacher’s Teacher”. I wanted to emulate the way he taught others and it was Dr. Duke who instilled into me the art of teaching. After graduating from medical school, I began teaching medical students and paramedic students and would gauge the way I taught by how well they did during their rotations! I often asked them for feedback as this was prior to the era of evaluations. As I progressed through residency and moved on to fellowship, it was then that I began to solidify my teaching methods. It was extremely important to me that I consistently taught to the level of the learner. I learned very quickly that the student was more engaged if you taught at their level of learning and understanding. Again, I learned this tact from Dr. Red Duke. I teach for the love of teaching others and to give back to education what education has given me. I have never been so proud as when I became Associate professor of Anesthesiology! The joy of mentoring young brand new residents and watching them bloom over four years into competent physicians is extremely gratifying. I keep it very simple. I ask all of my trainees questions regarding patient care and why they choose certain treatments and modalities. I then redirect them to think of alternate methods which builds confidence. My philosophy in mentoring and teaching is that I believe all students and residents are capable of greatness!

Area of Expertise and Interests

Trauma Anesthesiology
Traumatology
Emergency Medical Services / Pre-hospital Care
Aviation Medicine
Military Medicine

My educational efforts have been focused on issues related to graduate medical education, residency education, medical student education, as well as the teaching and training of pre-hospital care providers in the greater Houston area.

My aims in all activities is: 

-To ensure that learners are receiving the required knowledge and skills to become competent and compassionate providers

-To mentor and educate learners so that each individual can reach their full potential

-To maintain my own educational endeavors so that I may be an effective leader in activities related to education

Past and Current Educational Activities:

Chair of Education, Trauma Anesthesiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Fellowship Program Director, Trauma Anesthesiology, UTHealth McGovern Medical School

Honors/Awards/Appointments

Dean’s Teaching Excellence Awards

Evan Pivalizza, MBBA, Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award, Department of Anesthesiology

Outstanding Attending Physician Instructor, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine Anesthesiologist Assistant Program

Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) National Medical Honor Society

Member, Academy of Master Educators – McGovern Medical School

Selected Publications

Stephens, CT, Kahntroff, S, Dutton, RP: The Success of Emergency Endotracheal Intubation in Trauma Patients: A 10-Year Experience at a Major Adult Trauma Referral Center. Anesth Analg 109(3): 866-72, 2009

Stephens, CT: Managing the Traumatic Airway. EMS Airway Clinic – Best Practices in Airway Management & Education. J. Emergency Medical Services 01 Dec 2011

Stephens CT, Gumbert S, Holcomb JB. Trauma-associated bleeding: management of massive transfusion. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol.  2016 Jan 30.

Stephens, CT, De Haan, JB, Gumbert, SD, Pivalizza, EG. Use of the bougie endotracheal tube introducer in unstable cervical spine airway management. Anesth. Analg. 127(6):112, 2018

Stephens, CT, Ortiz, J, Pivalizza, EG. The anesthesiologist’s response to hurricane natural disaster incidents. Hurricane Harvey. Anesthesiology Clin. 37: 151-160, 2019